The perfect starter for hosting! Beloved in Tuscany, gnudi translates to "naked" in Italian. It is literally a "naked" ravioli! It is also very easy to prepare in the tomato sauce. We rely on good canned tomatoes such as San Marzanno. I prefer the Favuzzi or Bianco Di Napoli brands.
Servings: 4
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 35 minutes
Ingredients :
- 1 bunch kale (about 200g)
- 1 container of 475 g, Ricotta cheese with 4% fat
- 1 egg
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 small clove of garlic, finely grated
- 30 g parmesan, finely grated
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, optional
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil, optional
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Pepper from the mill, to taste
Sauce:
- One can of whole tomatoes (796 ml)
- 1 small clove of garlic, finely grated
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Pepper from the mill, to taste
To serve:
- Fresh basil leaves
- Grated Parmesan
- Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Steps:
- Remove stems from kale and roughly chop leaves. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch kale for 3 minutes. Transfer kale to a bowl of ice water and squeeze out excess water. Finely chop kale. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled kale with the ricotta, egg, flour, grated garlic, Parmesan, nutmeg, basil (if using), salt and pepper. Mix well until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 375F. Pour canned tomatoes into a large ovenproof skillet (I use a cast iron skillet). Pulverize tomatoes with your hands or scissors. Add grated garlic, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Using two spoons, shape the ricotta mixture into quenelles (small oval balls). Transfer the quenelles to the sauce. The gnudis should not be completely submerged. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the tops of the gnudis are lightly browned and the sauce is bubbling around the sides of the pan.
- Serve immediately and garnish with fresh basil leaves, grated parmesan cheese and add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil just before serving.